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Thank You for Your Kind Comments We were overwhelmed with the number of extremely positive comments about this year’s Annual Conference and Exposition. Nearly 200 of you completed the online survey. In addition, we’ve received numerous letters, emails, text messages, and notes on the conference app, Messenger, and other platforms saying what the event meant to you and your colleagues. Thank you. It was a privilege to serve you and provide the inspiration, information, and resources you need to do the amazing work you do. Don’t forget that you can still order an MP3 of all of the seminars and general session keynote addresses from Piper Media at this link. Now It’s on to the CEO Summit CEOs, you are no doubt already thinking ahead to your late-summer/early-fall schedule. We all know what a busy time that can be for the leaders of missions and kindred ministries. As a CEO, you need a pre-autumn opportunity to gather with peers, align priorities, and draw on each other and the Lord for wisdom and strength. Citygate Network’s CEO Summit is the perfect vehicle to do just that. Make sure you don’t miss this year’s event, which will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, August 27–29 (and keep reading for a special opportunity on August 26). Our venue is the Hilton Indianapolis, which is right downtown. We’ll tour our local member, Wheeler Mission Ministries. We also have a unique opportunity to arrive a day early and take in a Triple-A baseball game between the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate) and the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers affiliate). This is minor-league baseball at its best. What's more, it’s Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash Night, which means our local member’s annual holiday run will be promoted. Tickets for the game reserved through the CEO Summit registration form are FREE!  Of course, we’ll also have plenty of time for discussion, interaction, and idea-sharing. Head to our online registration page and use the links there to check out the schedule and to see what special guests will be facilitating our discussions. Then get yourself registered! And the District Events Are for Everyone—Particularly Downline Staff Registration is now live for six of this fall’s district conferences, and the final two will be available July 12 (Northern Lights district members met during Citygate Network’s Annual Conference; however, they can still participate in a district event by attending the one nearest or most convenient to them).  These events are jam-packed with education, inspiration, and networking designed to enrich and connect mission and ministry staff from throughout individual districts. Each district meeting is intentionally loaded with opportunities to build relationships and to foster learning among your team, as well as with others in similar roles who face similar challenges in their work. Because each conference takes place within a particular geographic region, staff members unable to attend Citygate Network’s Annual Conference can benefit from interaction and education pertinent to them in a closer locale. Programming includes speakers and seminars, resource tables, and a certain number of meals, as well as plenty of opportunities to connect. A Citygate Network staff member will also attend and bring an update on the latest happenings with the organization. The schedule for district conferences follows. For more details, access your district's event at www.citygatenetwork.org>Events. Rawhide District Conference Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown  Fort Worth, Texas  Staff Member attending: Lisa Miller Great Lakes District Blue Gate Garden Inn  Shipshewana, IN 46565  Staff Member attending: John Ashmen Bluegrass District Ridgecrest Conference Center  Ridgecrest, NC 28770  Staff Member attending: Justin Boles Sierra District Courtyard Long Beach Downtown  Long Beach, CA 90802  Staff Member attending: Sam Edwards Liberty District Spruce Lake Canadensis, PA 18325  Staff Member attending: Sam Edwards Evergreen District Union Gospel Mission, Coeur d'Alene  Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815  Staff Member attending: Malcomn Mitchell More Details Heartland District Stoney Creek  Johnston, IA 50131  Staff Member attending: Lisa Miller (More details available July 12) Deep South District Callaway Resort and Gardens  Pine Mountain, GA 31822  Staff Member attending: Selena Hayle (More details available July 12) Exodus Stories Videos Available Online We received positive feedback from the inspiring Exodus Stories videos shown at Citygate Network’s Annual Conference general sessions. These videos told the stories of people now working in mission ministry whose lives were transformed by the programs of a rescue mission or kindred ministry. The comments about these were so positive that we wanted them to have an extended life. Just click here to watch one of these brief videos each day for a couple weeks. You are sure to be inspired by these great reminders of the impact of your ministry each day. Fire Severely Damages Facility at Member Mission  The staff and board of directors at Kokomo Rescue Mission (Kokomo, Indiana) express their thanks for support and prayers following a fire at the mission's Transitions House, this past Saturday, June 29. CEO Van Taylor told Citygate Network President John Ashmen that they are extremely thankful that no one no one was injured. He said that inspectors and insurance agents are now doing their work to ascertain the cause and assess the actual damage. If you want to pass on a gift of encouragement to Van and his team, send it to Kokomo Rescue mission, P.O Box 476, Kokomo, IN 46903-0476 or do so online.    Member CEO Recovering from Heart Attack Ron Gonzales, the director of Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) suffered a serious heart attack on June 17. Originally, his prognosis was not good as the heart blockage that caused it was inside of a previously placed stent; however, he has slowly improved and is no longer in ICU. He now faces a significant period of rehab. Ron’s wife, Linda, has jumped in as acting CEO and has had her hands full with day-to-day issues, including some unexpected facility repairs and a freezer replacement. If you would like to send a note of encouragement to her (both for her and to pass on to Ron), send it to linda@ilsnova.com.

San Francisco Bans Sales of E-Cigarettes San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to ban the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes in the city. The city is the corporate home of Juul Labs, the biggest producer of e-cigarettes in the United States. City Attorney Dennis Herrera co-authored the ordinance and celebrated the final vote. "This is a decisive step to help prevent another generation of San Francisco children from becoming addicted to nicotine," he said. According to a report by NPR, the ordinances prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes in brick-and-mortar stores and also online, if the products are being shipped to addresses within the city. San Francisco Mayor London Breed now has 10 days to sign the legislation, which she has said she will do. The law would begin to be enforced seven months from that date, in early 2020. Florida Legalizes Needle Exchange Programs  Needle exchange programs will be legal in Florida starting July 1 after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Infectious Disease Elimination Act into law this week. But nonprofits in Orange County need to come up with their own money to fund the exchanges. According to a report by radio station WMFE, the new law prohibits the use of state or federal money to fund the programs that offer people clean needles in exchange for used ones. Local professionals say it could cost about $100,000 to set up a needle exchange. Interim Orange County Department of Health Director Dr. Raul Pino says that’s because exchanges aren’t just a place for people to swap out used needles but to get tested for hepatitis and HIV. Sites also provide NARCAN, an opioid antidote that can reverse drug overdoses. The Orange County Commission will have to vote to approve needle exchange programs before hospitals, clinics, and nonprofits can offer them.  Trade War with China Threatens Bible Publishing Although books have escaped earlier tariff hikes, the latest proposed round—a 25  percent tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods—includes Bibles and Christian books. In response, leading Christian publishers testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. last week to ask for exemptions. According to an article in Christianity Today, China is the world’s largest Bible publisher, thanks to Nanjing-based Amity Press which has printed almost 200 million Bibles since 1988 in partnership with the United Bible Societies. For the world’s largest Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP), more than three quarters of its production costs are incurred in China. Its portfolio includes bestselling authors such as Rick Warren, as well as the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The two popular translations give HCCP 38 percent of America’s Bible market, which sees about 20 million Bibles sold annually. Christian publishers now await the decision of the trade representatives.

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Food Insecurity Is Leading to Type 2 Diabetes A collaborative study by a team of Connecticut researchers shows there is a strong connection between food insecurity and insulin resistance, the underlying problem in type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance occurs when cells are not able to respond normally to the hormone insulin. The research by UConn School of Medicine, UConn School of Dental Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Quinnipiac University, Hartford Hospital, and the Hispanic Health Council suggests that for Latinos with type 2 diabetes, food insecurity is linked to the disease's development and progression. According to a report by Medical Xpress, the study points to the more than 40 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, who live in food-insecure households where access to nutritionally adequate and safe food is limited or uncertain. The study included 121 study Latinos with type 2 diabetes; 68 percent of the participants were classified as food insecure. HPV Vaccine Now Recommended Through Age 45 in Some Cases A federal public health advisory panel said Wednesday that some people through age 45 could benefit from getting an HPV vaccine and should discuss the possibility with their doctors. The recommendation, which came during a two-day meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, could expand the pool of people whose insurance providers may cover the HPV vaccine. The vaccine was developed to prevent cancer caused by the human papillomavirus, which is typically transmitted sexually. According to a report in The Washington Post, the vaccine is recommended for preteen girls and boys to protect them before exposure to the virus, with catch-up vaccinations through age 26. But in a 10–4 vote, the advisory committee agreed to recommend HPV vaccination for women and men ages 27 to 45 who are not adequately vaccinated, through “shared clinical decision-making.” Two-Thirds of Global Drug Deaths Caused by Opioids Opioids, which include both heroin and legal pain relievers, were responsible for around two-thirds of drug-related deaths around the world in 2017, the latest World Drug Report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed on Wednesday. According to a report by UN News, the study shows that the negative health consequences associated with drugs are more severe and widespread than previously thought, with some 35 million people suffering from drug use disorders and requiring treatment services. While the overall figure for drug use in 2017, an estimated 271 million people, was similar to the previous year, the trend is rising, and the number of people using drugs is now some 30 percent higher than it was 10 years ago.

Stress-Relieving Peace

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7).

Stress has a nasty habit of consuming our thoughts and influencing our behavior. As a result, we’re often not where we ought to be, physically, mentally, or spiritually. Our best defense against the stresses of life is simple: turn worries into prayers.

Remember, God is in control, and through him, we can experience peace. Not a peace that comes from the lack of conflict—we will always be at odds with sin, fear, and doubt. But a lasting peace only found in Christ, who has already battled these forces and won!

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

And Jesus never lost sight of where he was headed or what needed to be done.

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

He’s the ultimate model of how we should strive to live our lives, who made the ultimate sacrifice to save our souls. When we welcome Christ into our hearts—thanking him for what he did—he brings with him the same victorious Spirit that overcame every hostile force that Satan was able to throw his way. Jesus wards off the powers that cause worry and replaces them with the comfort of knowing our place in God’s Kingdom is set and secure.

If your life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with His peace.

To contribute: If you would like to write a devotional thought for StreetLight, please make it about 200 words and include at least one Bible verse or passage, and submit via email.

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All Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

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